We Shall Never Forget

I was once again humbled and honored to cover the City of Beacon commemoration ceremony marking the 14th Anniversary of 9/11.  It is truly hard to believe that fourteen years have past since this heinous and outrageous attack was cowardly carried out.

This year's event once again took place in Patriot Park and was hosted by the Beacon American Legion Post 203 and the Auxilliary Unit 203.   As in year's past, it was very well attended and participants included several first responders.  Mayor Randy Casale, Past Post Commander John McEnroe and Fire Chief Gary Van Voorhis were this year's guest speakers.

 To view the ceremony in its entirety, please follow the link below.
City of Beacon 9/11 Commemoration

Featured Service Spotlight -- Individual High School Demo Highlights

As we all know, playing high school sports is extremely competitive.  However, collegiate athletics is in a league all of its own.  In order to stand out amongst the crowd, it is imperative to have a superior, high-quality individual demo. 

Here at Video Ventures, we are proud to be able to offer this service to our players.  Each year we produce a significant number of demos and our success rate continues to accelerate.  Those who have utilized our demos, have not only gotten into the college of their choice, but have also received scholarships to play for that particular team.

We go above and beyond simply handing our clients a DVD.  What we do is produce a full 4-6 minute highlight reel and incorporate it into the athletes own Vimeo channel.  This enables any coach, recruiter or scout, with a swift click of the mouse, to access the demo, game footage and a full sports biography. The average highlight demo has 25 to 30 clips and ranges in price from $300-$500.  Costs will vary depending on the amount of editing needed.

To view one of our lacrosse high school demos, please use the link below.

Eric Greenberg 2014 Highlights

"Land Of The Free Because Of The Brave"

We were honored and humbled to have been asked to cover two Memorial Day parades in Dutchess County this year.  The City of Beacon held their parade along Main Street and concluded with a ceremony at the City's V.F.W. building. Just like Beacon, the Town of Beekman's parade marched down its Main Street.  Their parade however, concluded with a ceremony at Beekman Town Hall.

These are always very personal occasions for me.  My hero and role-model is my dearly departed father.  He served in the United States Navy during World War II and was stationed in the South Pacific.  He instilled in me a great sense of pride and humility for the men and women who served and continue to serve in our Nation's Armed Forces.  That is why events such as the above, are always one of the most touching tributes that I have the privilege of shooting.

To view these services in their entirety, please click on the links below.  

Beacon Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

Beekman Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony

Crowning of a Champion

We have covered some incredible games this lacrosse season, but, without a doubt, the Section 1 Class A Championship game, was by far the best we were privileged to capture. This showdown featuring Mahopac vs. Mamaroneck at White Plains High School on May 21st, had everyone holding their breath right up until the last second.

The game began on a very slow place with each team scoring a goal a piece at the end of the first quarter.  As we moved into the second, the game intensified drastically.  Mamaroneck revved up and goals by Eric Greenberg and Charlie Harris enabled them to take a 5-2 lead.   Without hesitation, Mahopac kicked themselves into gear and picked up another three goals.  As we headed into halftime, it was clear that this could be either team's game to win.  The third quarter can be summed up as a simultaneous onslaught of goals being scored by both teams.  With two minutes left to play in the quarter, Mahopac held a 9-8 lead but that did not last for long as Mamaroneck answered back with two quick goals of their own. once again assuming control. 

With a score of 10-9 to start the fourth, Mamaroneck and Mahopac each exchanged goals within the first two minutes.  Now with just nine minutes of play left, tension hung in the air with each play made.  Suddenly, with only a minute left in the game, Mahopac scored to tie the score and forced this cliffhanger to head into overtime.  Before the crowd could even blink, Mamaroneck's shining star, and offensive player of the game, Eric Greenberg, delivered an unassisted goal propelling his team to victory and thereby crowning Mamaroneck as the 2015 Section 1 Class A Champions. 

Mamaroneck has a bye for the first round of regional play and will play the winner of the Section 3 vs Section 9 game (to be held on Wednesday, May 27th) on Saturday, May 30th. 

To view highlights of this game, please follow the link below.
Mahopac vs. Mamaroneck

The March To The Championship

In this battle of the Tigers, White Plains squared off against Mamaroneck vying for a chance to advance to the Section 1 Class A championship game on Tuesday, May 19th.  It took only two minutes and thirty seconds for Mamaroneck to claw their way to an early lead when Jack Harrigan and Eric Greenberg each scored a goal a piece.  Unfortunately for White Plains, Mamaroneck's Ben Shapiro, won close to 90% of his face offs thereby giving Mamaroneck's Tigers ball possession for almost the duration of the game.  At the half, White Plains was down by three goals. Things did not improve much from there.  Mamaroneck doubled their number of goals by the end of the game and walked away with a 19-8 victory.  They will now play on Thursday against Mahopac, in what will be a rematch of the 2013 Class A Section 1 Championship game.  Will history repeat itself and Mamaroneck once again reign supreme?  Please be sure to stay tuned.

Defending Class C Section 1 Champions Bronxville took on Briarcliff in this semifinal thriller.  Briarcliff was ready and successfully scored first against the Bronxville powerhouse.  In order to prove their prowess, Bronxville came fightng back and was able to tie the score at one at the end of the first quarter.  The next four goals would belong to Bronxville, giving them a 5-2 lead as we headed into halftime.  Bronxville did not lose any momentum and continued to distance themselves from Briarcliff, picking up another two goals by the end of the third quarter.  Briarcliff had been silenced long enough, energized they came fighting back and were able to add two more goals to their tally.  However, in the fourth quarter, only a total of two goals were scored and unfortunately for Briarcliff, they were both scored by the mighty Bronxville team resulting in a final score of 9-5. Bronxville now finds themselves headed back to their 4th straight Class C Section 1 Championship game.  Despite this tough loss, Briarcliff should be incredibly proud of themselves.  They had a stellar season and have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with in the next upcoming season(s) to come. 

For highlights of these semifinal games, please follow the links below.
White Plains vs. Mamaroneck

Briarcliff vs. Bronxville

Second Round Showdowns

Mamaroneck took to the field on Saturday energized and full of vigor as they faced off against Suffern.  Not wasting anytime, one of their shining stars, Eric Greenberg scored two goals within the first 45 seconds.  By the end of the first quarter, Mamaroneck held a 6-1 lead.  Any time Suffern managed to score a goal, it was rapidly matched and/or exceeded by Mamaroneck.  At the start of the 4th quarter, Mamaroneck had its reserve team members in the game and they walked off the field victorious with a final score of 19-13.  It will be a "Tiger vs. Tiger" showdown as Mamaroneck advances to the Class A semifinals and will face White Plains on Tuesday, May 19th. 

Two of our teams, Haldane and Briarcliff, went head to head on Saturday, May 16th, in what many people believed would be an epic battle of these two closely matched Class C teams.  Much like Mamaroneck, Briarcliff was not going to let anyone stand in their way, and they too led 6-1 and the end of the first quarter of play.  The Haldane Blue Devils had a very difficult time maintaining ball possession and consequently, Briarcliff was ahead by seven goals at the half.  The second half of play continued on much like the first, with Briarcliff continuing to increase their lead over the Blue Devils.  It was evident that Haldane was starting to feel the pressure, as towards the end of the game, things began to get a little volatile with an increase of slashing and hitting.  At one point two players had to be pulled away from one another, resulting in a huddle between both coaches and referees.   At the end of the day, victory belonged to Briarcliff  with a 16-5 win.  They will meet Bronxville, the 2014 Class C Champions, on Tuesday, May 19th. 

For highlights of these games, please follow the links below. 

Suffern vs. Mamaroneck

Haldane vs. Briarcliff

First Round

As the days begin to heat up, so does the lacrosse action across the Hudson Valley.  We are now officially into the playoff season.

On Thursday, May 14th, we filmed three games in the first round of the Class "C" playoffs. First, we take you to Briarcliff where this #3 ranked hosted #14North Salem.  Unfortunately, North Salem seemed to have left their offense on the bus as Briarcliff easily dominated throughout the game.  Their sustained offense and stellar goal-tending had them leading at the half by a score of 5-1.  The second half of the game was not much different.  They added another four goals to the scoreboard and dealt North Salem a 9-2 loss. 

Next up we bring you #11 Lourdes vs. #6 Haldane.  Haldane was no match for Lourdes as they scored a whopping 24 goals.  Lourdes was determined to not go down without a fight but at the end of the day, they came up short, only putting 10 goals on the board.  The Blue Devils move on to the next round as they topple Lourdes with a 24-10 victory.

For our last game of the the day, #9 Westlake traveled to play #8 ranked Irvington.  This was an incredible game where neither team led by more than two goals at any given time.  Neither team was willing to give up and this game went into double overtime.  Unfortunately, when all was said and done, Irvington fell short and lost by one goal to Westlake.  In the next round of play, Westlake will meet Bronxville, the defending Class "C" champions.

Please stay tuned as two of our teams advance to quarter final action.  The Briarcliff Bears and Haldane Blue Devils will face off against one another on Saturday, May 16th.

To view highlights of these games, please follow the links below.

North Salem Vs. Briarclff

Lourdes vs. Haldane 

Westlake vs. Irvington

Regular Season Wrap-Up

This set of highlights marks the end of the 2015 regular lacrosse season.  Please stay tuned as we enter the playoff rounds. 

Mamaroneck hosted Harrison on May 7th.  Within twenty-three seconds, Mamaroneck was off and running and never looked back.  They easily dominated Harrison throughout the duration of the game.  With each of the five goals that Harrison scored, the Mamaroneck offense answered back with another goal or two of their own.  Eric Greenberg and Reed Maltas lead the assault for Mamaroneck propelling them to a 14-5 victory.

Next up we take you to Irvington where they hosted Briarcliff, a rare game actually played at Irvington's own field.  As you may recall, Irvington has been been forced to play elsewhere for most of the season due to poor field conditions.  These two evenly matched teams volleyed back and forth the entire game.  Briarcliff scored first and jumped out to a 2-0 lead.  However, by halftime, the Irvington Bulldogs bit back and had a 5-3 lead.  The Briarcliff Bears came clawing back during the third quarter to tie the score at 6-6.  At this point it was anyone's game to win.  Both teams each exchanged a goal a piece and it all game down to the last two minutes of play.  As the clock ran down, Briarcliff scored and edged out Irvington 8-7.

We saw another great game in Rye Neck as they hosted Haldane.  Once again this week, the visiting team scored first and Haldane held a 2-0 lead five minutes into the game.  However, if they thought this game was going to be easily handed to them, they had another thing coming.  Rye Neck answered their 2-0 lead and by half time was down by only one goal. The second half of play showcased some amazing shots on goal by both teams.  For much of the second half, Haldane continue to add goals onto their 4-3 lead.  However, Rye Neck came alive in the fourth quarter and with 15 seconds left tied the score, sending the game into overtime.  As they setup to face-off in overtime, Rye Neck jumped too soon, giving Haldane the ball. With a quick three pass, Haldane scored the winning goal thirteen seconds into overtime.


To view highlights of the above games, please follow the links below.
Harrison vs. Mamaroneck

Briarcliff vs. Irvington

Haldane vs. Rye Neck

Unsung Heros

Video Ventures was humbled to be asked to film the clock dedication ceremony that took place in the City of Beacon on Wednesday, May 6th.  On this overcast day, at the east end of Main Street, adjacent to the RoundHouse, this clock, that was donated to the City by one of its own residents, Denny Meyers, was officially dedicated in honor and recognition of first responders not just in Beacon but also the surrounding towns and villages.  It was also further dedicated to the memory of his mother, Lucy Meyer Harrison LeClaire, who succumbed to the injuries she sustained, 60 days after the tragic fire.
 
On the evening of March 26, 2012, Mr. Meyer's life was forever changed when his home caught fire.  A 911 call was place and within two minutes, the Beacon Fire Department arrived on the scene of 43 Ackerman Street to find a raging structural fire with people trapped inside. 

As the firefighters bravely enter the home amidst the flames, they discovered Mr. Meyer's wheelchair-bound mother and her home health care aide.  Within moments these brave first responders, were able to successfully rescue them and remove them from further harm.  The fire continued on its path of destruction as the flames encroached upon and began to engulf the second floor of the residence.  Members of the Village of Fishkill Fire Department assisted the Beacon firefighters to help locate Denny, who was unconscious on the ground.  Despite the order from Command that all personnel abandon the building due to worsening conditions, they continued to drag Denny to the window and successfully remove him from the building to the waiting aerial ladder.

This beautiful symbol will stand tall, in the heart of our City, as a visual reminder of the everyday sacrifice that emergency and medical personnel make, as they put their lives at risk in the direct line of danger, to protect and serve the people, not just here, but around the world. 

To view the ceremony in its entirety, please click the link below. 
Beacon Clock Dedication

Action-Packed Round-up

It was a grueling match-up between Tigers vs. Tigers as Mamaroneck hosted White Plains on April 27th.  By the time the game was over, both teams, especially each respective goalie, was certain to have been exhausted.  Goals were exchanged back and forth between White Plains and Mamaroneck for the majority of the first half, with the Mamaroneck Tigers leading 10-7.  Their momentum continued when they took the field once again and they increased their lead to 14-7.  Determined to gain the upper hand, the White Plains Tigers roared back in the fourth quarter but despite their best efforts, fell short and suffered a hard fought loss.

On May 1st, Haldane hosted North Salem.  It was also senior night for the Haldane varsity boy's lacrosse team, an evening that every graduating high school sports player looks forward to as they begin their march towards graduation.  The home team was fueled with emotion and passion from the second the ball dropped on the field.  Haldane dazzled the crowd within the first thirty seconds by scoring their first goal and kept the momentum going throughout the duration of the first half of play, leading 11-2.  The second half saw more of the same with several players joining in on the offensive explosion.  Haldane sailed to an easy18-4 victory.  It is also important to note that this stellar team has the second highest goal-scoring percentage per game record amongst Section 1 Class C schools. 

Harrison and Rye also battled for the win on Friday, May 1st.  And for what this game lacked in terms of the number of goals scored, it made up for it with the amount of action it contained. In this match-up, the Harrison Huskies entered as the underdog.  However, this did not deter them from coming out strong.  Harrison retained a lead over Rye for the duration of the game.  However, Rye came close in the 4th quarter.  If it were not for Harrison's goalie who made some pivotal saves, Rye may have emerged victorious.  With one minute and 45 seconds left to play, Harrison was unstoppable, with the team exhibiting incredible ball control and spectacular defensive maneuvers. This left Rye unable to take a shot on goal up until the final buzzer sounded.  The final score was 6-4 with Harrison on top.

For this week's highlights, please follow the links below:

White Plains vs. Mamaroneck

North Salem vs. Haldane

Harrison vs. Rye

Dominance and Disappointment

First up this week we take you to Haldane where the Varsity Boys Lacrosse team hosted Keio Academy on April 20th.  Haldane's offense ignited right of the gate and by the time the first three minutes of play were over, they had succeeded in scoring a goal for each minute of play.  This game featured a dazzling display of athleticism as Haldane executed some artful mastery with some tremendous shots on goal.  They dominated the entire duration of the game and handily won 19-8.  Haldane has only three losses this season.

Next we travel to Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor where they faced off against Mamaroneck.  The last time that these two teams played one another was last year in the Section 1 Class A championship.  In that game, Panas easily cruised to victory with a score of 13-3.  However, things were different this time around. Determined to emerge victorious, Mamaroneck held Panas to a single goal.  Their offense won 85% of all the faceoffs while their defense got to all loose balls and effectively limited Panas' shots on goal.  The final score was 17-1. 

We end the week with Briarcliff at Pleasantville on April 23rd.  Briarcliff was off kilter this game, missing many shots and playing very loose defensively.  Within seconds, Pleasantville took the lead but Briarcliff came clawing back to the top with a 4-2 lead at the end of the first quarter.  The second quarter brought much of the same but by halftime Briarcliff was trailing by one goal.  There was no question that the second half belonged to Pleasantville.  The goalie for Briarcliff was often alone as many offensive members of Pleasantville's team converged upon him.  Without assistance, he fell prey to many successful shots on goal by Pleasantville.  This game ended in a frustrating 12-6 loss for the Briarcliff Bears.

Keio Academy vs. Haldane

 Mamaroneck vs. Panas

Briarcliff vs. Pleasantville

Pride and Patriotism

As much as I enjoy covering high school lacrosse, nothing gives me more pride and joy than being able to watch and film my own two children playing this wonderful sport.  My son and daughter play for the Phillipstown Highlanders and I happily film their games whenever I am able.   This past Friday, April 17th, they were presented with an incredible opportunity...to play their game vs. Somers, at West Point!  It was incredible experience for not just the players but the parents as well.

After the conclusion of their own game, the Highlanders were invited to stay to watch Army's Black Knights Men's Lacrosse team host Colgate under the lights at Michie Stadium. The Highlanders were escorted to the field to line the runway and exchange high-five's with the Black Knights as they took to the field.  Having been given permission to enter the field, Video Ventures was presented with an up close and personal chance to capture the looks on the children's faces as they were surprised and dazzled by five Army parachute jumpers landing in the stadium.  The kids squealed with delight as an Army helicopter came whirling past once all the parachuters landed safely to the ground. 

This is certain to be an everlasting memory for all in attendance.  For footage of this once in a lifetime privilege, please follow the link below.

Highlanders Visit Army's Black Knights Lacrosse Team

All Hands On Deck

To say it was a busy week for us is an underestimate.  We covered a whopping 17 games this week and were shuffling back and forth from Westchester and Rockland Counties and even headed to Connecticut twice!  In some instances we were even covering three to four games a day.

Let's begin with our first look at a Rockland County team.  Rye faced off against North Rockland on April 13th.  These two teams see-sawed back and forth throughout the majority of the game.  Heading into the fourth quarter, the score was tied.   Both teams went into the fourth quarter with their sights on taking the win.  In the end it was Rye, with their speed and strong defense that spiraled them straight to the top with a 13-8 triumph over North Rockland. 

Next we catch up with Briarcliff as they visit Walter Panas, the 2014 Section 1 Class A Champions.  Going into this game Briarcliff had only one loss.  Both teams volleyed goals back and forth throughout the game.  As it looked like Briarcliff was set to walk away with the win, with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, Panas tied the game at 10.  This didn't deter the momentum of the Bears.  They came fighting back and within two and a half minutes of overtime play, Briarcliff scored. 

We wrap up the week with Croton vs Irvington at Fox Lane High School on April 15th.  This is our first glimpse at the Irvington Varisty Boys in the 2015 season.  Thus far they have been playing their home games at Fox Lane as their field is not yet ready.  If you were looking for some intense play and drama this was not the game for you.  There were very few goals and minimal  penalties.  The game got off to a very slow start with only three goals scored in the first half of play.  After halftime, the Irvington offense began to come alive.  They rallied and were able to walk off with a 7-2 victory. 

To see highlights from the above games, please click the links below.
 Rye vs. North Rockland

Briarcliff vs. Walter Panas


Croton vs. Irvington

Ups and Downs

It was another busy week in High School Varsity lacrosse action.  This week we spotlight Mamaroneck, Pearl River and Rye.

We begin with Mamaroneck vs. Sachem North, a strong team from Long Island. This match-up exhibited a stellar offensive battle with the goalie from Sachem North giving a spectacular performance.  As the players dueled on the field, a record twenty-five goals were scored. In the end, Sachem North edged out a win by scoring three goals in the last three minutes of play, resulting in a final score of 13-12. 

Next up, we bring you to Pearl River who visited Rye on April 11th.  If you are trying to locate the ball, you can easily find it on the Pearl River end for most of the game.  Rye easily dominated and sailed to victory with a score of 14-3.

Lastly, we take you to Edgemont where they were visited by Briarcliff.  Despite home-field advantage, Edgemont was unsuccessful in their quest for not only victory but also a goal.  They lost by a score of 14-0.  Briarcliff has suffered only one loss and this was their goalie's second shutout of the year. 

Stay tuned next week as we continue to spotlight our local athletes hard at play.

 Mamaroneck vs. Sachem North

Pearl River vs. Rye

Briarcliff vs. Edgemont

Puddles and Penalties

The Haldane Varsity Boys' Lacrosse season got off to a wet start yesterday as they hosted Ossining High School.  The rain certainly didn't dampen the intensity and vigor of the players as they took to the field.

At times the competitive pairing of these two teams was overshadowed by the slew of penalties that rained down from the referees almost as quickly as the raindrops fell from the sky.  The whistle blew so often that Haldane was down three men on the field at one point. To say the referees had their hands full is an understatement.

The culmination occurred when an Ossining player was ejected from the game for poor sportsmenship. Unfortunately, matters were made worse when the ejected player's father became enraged and consequently ignited the tempers of many spectators in the stands.

In spite of this, Haldane fought valiently against Ossining's five goal lead and at one point came within two goals.  Despite their best efforts, Haldane came up short and lost 13-8.

To view highlights of the game, please follow the link below.
Ossining vs. Haldane

Down To The Wire

It's time for your weekly highlights and it has been quite the nail-biting week in high school lacrosse.

First we take you to Saturday, March 28, where Wantagh faced off against Mamaroneck at Mamaroneck High School.   Despite the snowy playing conditions, it was an extremely tight offensive game, in fact there was no point in time when either team led by more than two goals.  In the end, Wantagh was able to hang on and walk away with an 11-10 win.

Next up we bring you some girls lacrosse action.  As the snow was falling on the last Saturday in March, the Briarcliff Varsity girls team was visited by Westlake.  Briarcliff started the game out at a steady pace and at one point led by five goals.  Westlake came charging back with a lot of momentum to try to even the playing field, but in the end fell short.  Victory went to Briarcliff with a score of 13-12 in this nail-biting game.

To round out this week's spotlight games, we take you to Rye High School where the Varsity boys hosted Somers.  It was a grueling physical match-up between these two teams.  Rye was off and running with a five-goal lead and it seemed clear that they would dominate throughout the duration of the game.  However, Somers struck back with a vengeance and came back to within one goal.  Unfortunately they fell short and the win went to Rye.  The final score was 10-7.

For highlights of all three games, please follow the links below.

Wantagh vs, Mamaroneck

Westlake vs. Briarcliff

Somers vs. Rye

Off and Running

Lacrosse season is officially here. With the addition of new teams this year and the volume of games, we are going to spotlight a few games a week. The last couple of days have been especially busy and included some stellar match ups.

We take you first to Long Island where we traveled to on Wednesday, March 25th to cover Wantagh vs. Seaford.  These are two of Long Island's best boys High School Varsity teams. However, on this's particular rainy night, Wantagh dominated most of the game.  They emerged victorious with a 12-6 win in their first game of the season.

Also on Wednesday, March 25th, the Mamaroneck boys varsity team faced off against Bronxville.  Bronxville is a three-time defending Section 1 Champion team and handily toppled Mamaroneck with a score of 18-7.

This past Saturday, March 28th, we headed up to Albany to cover an out of league game. Amid the persistent snow showers, Briarcliff took on Albany Academy at Albany College of Pharmacy. These two evenly matched teams competed diligently throughout the duration of the game.  The win could have easily gone to either team but Briarcliff scored two goals in the 4th quarter to edge out Albany Academy with a 6-4 win.

For highlights of all three games, please follow the links below.

Wantagh v. Seaford

Mamaroneck v. Bronxville

Briarcliff v. Albany Academy

Glitz and Glamour

It was a beautiful night at the Villa Borghese on the occasion of Gina's Sweet 16.  The theme was Hollywood and the ballroom looked like a movie premiere party.  The 125 guests in attendance were given the royal treatment as they walked the red carpet upon arrival into the ballroom.

The evening was full of dancing and laughter and even included Gina singing a song to her guests.  Fitting for a Hollywood movie, the birthday girl got the surprise of her life when she was presented with a gift from her parents, one every teenagers dreams of, a brand new car!

To view a trailer of this young lady's special evening, please follow the link below.
Gina's Sweet 16

2015 High School Lacrosse

It may not feel like it but it is officially Spring.  Most of the snow has melted away and we can finally see some sort of green in our lawns.  A sure sign that longer days and warmer temperatures are just around the corner.

For us at Video Ventures it means the beginning of lacrosse season.  This year we will once again be covering the boys varsity lacrosse teams for the following teams in the Hudson Valley:  Briarcliff, Irvington, Mamaroneck and Rye.  In addition, we are extremely pleased to announce that we will be adding Varsity Haldane, J.V. Rye and the Briarcliff girls varsity lacrosse teams to our roster as well.

Sports enthusiasts rejoice and stay tuned as we will once again be providing you with highlights from each of these games.

Wine and Dine

As you may already know, Sparrow's Nest is a charity that is very near and dear to my heart.  Video Ventures is proud to be their official videographer and we proudly and routinely donate our services whenever we may be of assistance to them.

Sparrow's Nest is set to begin a series of informal meetings to educate and recruit runners for the 2015 Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  These hour-long meetings will be held throughout the month of February. It will be during this time that fundraising goals will be outlined and you will be able to interact with former runners to learn more about this life changing event.

Sparrow's Nest was founded by Krista Jones and cooks and delivers meals to the families of moms with cancer in areas of the Hudson Valley.  They were recently the recipient of the 2014 Pandora "Hearts of Today."

To learn more about this wonderful organization and the 2015 Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon, please visit their website: Sparrow's Nest

State of Emergency

Attention all Dutchess County residents.  We are currently in a State of Emergency.  Snow has already begun falling in parts of our area and the weather forecasts are predicting 20+ inches of snow coupled with gusting winds.

Residents are urged to stay indoors and not to travel unless it is an emergency.  Please be mindful of neighbors and check up on one another throughout the duration of this storm.

Stay tuned to your local public broadcast channel for emergency messages and be sure to keep safe and warm.

Below is a link to the message that is currently being aired on Channel 22 for City of Beacon residents.
Nor'Easter Juno Special Weather Statement

Wizards Wow Packed House

The crowd was on its feet dancing and laughing the night away as the Harlem Wizards and the Beacon Ballers took center stage at Beacon High School on Saturday night.

Families packed the gymnasium to cheer on and support their school district and were treated to over two hours of hilarious antics and a stunning display of athletiscism. The Harlem Wizards had everyone gasping and their amazing hoop shots and made a tremendous effort to include members of the audience at numerous points during the game.

The J.V. Forrestal PTSO is to be applauded for organizing such a wonderful fundraiser.  In fact, my kids are already asking if we can go to the game again next year!

To view the game, please click the link below.
Harlem Wizards vs. Beacon Ballers 1/24/15

Harlem Wizards in Beacon

The Harlem Wizards will be arriving in town tomorrow to face off against the Beacon Ballers, a team of teachers, staff and principals from within the Beacon City School District.  The game will take place on Saturday, January 24th at 7:00pm at Beacon High School.

Proceeds will benefit the J.V. Forrestal Parent Teacher Student Organization  (PTSO) and can be purchased online at www.harlemwizards.com for $12 per person.  Tickets will also be sold on Saturday between 4:30-5:30 in the Beacon High School Community Room for $15 per person.

Stay tuned for highlights from what is certain to be a fun-filled night!

The Beginning

Today marks the beginning of Video Ventures filming the City of Beacon Planning Board meetings.  These meetings take place on the second Tuesday of every month.

You can view the meetings in their entirety by visiting the City of Beacon's website or by tuning into the City's public broadcasting which airs on Channel 22.

You can also view the meeting by following the below link.
City of Beacon Planning Board Meeting 1/13/15

Flags Of The World

On Saturday, November 1, 2014, a celebration was held on the occasion of Sam's Bar Mitzvah.  It took place at the Grandview in Poughkeepsie, New York.

The room at the Grandview was adorned with flags from countries around the world. This was especially fitting as Sam has many family members that live oversea. In fact, the party was transmitted via live feed so that his relatives in Greece could feel as if they were actual present with Sam in Poughkeepsie on this special night!

In addition to dancing, Sam and his guests were treated to a special performance by The Amazing Bottle Dancers. This group of performers mixes tradition with comedy and produced rousing laughter from all in attendance!

Mazel Tov Sam! Thank you for letting us be a part of this important day in your life!

To view highlights from Sam's Bar Mitzvah, please click below.
Sam's Bar Mitzvah November 1, 2014

Snowflakes and Smiles

On Saturday, November 29th Hallie was called to the Torah as a Bat Mitzvah at Temple Shaaray Tefila.  After the service, the celebration continued at the DoubleTree Hilton in Tarrytown, New York.

Many of Hallie's family members and friends were present for this special moment in her life.  They danced the night away in a snowflake inspired room.  As evidenced by the smile on all of the faces in attendance, all had a fantastic evening!

Mazel Tov Hallie! Thank you for letting us be a part of your important day!

To view highlights from Hallie's Bat Mitzvah, please follow the link below.
Hallie's Bat Mitzvah November 29, 2014

Municipal Matters

Happy New Year! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season!

We are off and running here at Video Ventures. We will once again be officially videotaping the council meetings for the Towns of Beekman and Stanford as well as for the City of Beacon.  We are also very excited to announce that we have been asked to shoot the City of Beacon Planning Board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month!  This is a wonderful new opportunity for us as well as the residents of Beacon.

The City of Beacon Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month and they hold their  workshops on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.  Their website can be found here: City of Beacon

The Town of Beekman Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month.  Their website can be found here: Town of Beekman

The Town of Stanford Council meets the second Thursday of each month.  Their website can be found here: Town of Stanford